Hot air engines



March 12, 1957 F|ALA 2,784,548

HOT AIR ENGINES Filed Aug. 11, 1955 nited States HOT AIR ENGINES Joseph F. Fiala, Wichita, Kans.

Application August 11, 1955, Serial No. 527,764

1 Claim. (CI. 60-24) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in so-called hot air engines, that is, engines wherein alternate heating and cooling and resultant expansion and contraction of a given quantity of air is utilized for driving a reciprocable piston.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an engine of this type which, on a relatively small scale, may be effectively used as a toy, or the like, and which is constructed in a very simple, durable manner well suited for the purpose for which the same is primarily intended.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for heating the air in the engine by a highly portable and easily replenishable agent commonly known as can heat, whereby the engine may be used in environments wherein other types of heating means would not be practical or convenient.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may be come apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention resides in the details of construction and arrange ment of parts substantially as shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the engine, partially broken away to reveal its construction;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof, also partially broken away; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, taken from the side opposite to that shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the hot air engine is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and, as already stated, is primarily in tended for use as a toy, or the like. As such, the engine comprises a base plate 11 having an upright standard 12 provided adjacent the center thereof, the upper end of the standard carrying a horizontally elongated support member 13.

The member 13 includes a U-shaped yoke 14 and a mounting flange 15, these being disposed at the opposite sides of the standard 12 and the yoke 14 providing bearings for a crankshaft 16 having a pair of cranks 17, 18 disposed at the opposite sides of the yoke and offset from each other by approximately 90 degrees. A flywheel 19 is provided on the crankshaft 16 within the yoke 14, as shown.

A unitary cylinder block casting 20 is supported above the base plate 11 by the member 13, the block casting 20 including a relatively narrow, transversely elongated portion 21 and two cylinders 22, 23 which are disposed at the opposite ends and at the opposite sides of the portion 21. The cylinder 22, substantially larger than the cylinder 23, is the power cylinder while the cylinder 23 is the compression cylinder.

A hollow power piston 24 is reciprocable in the cylinder 22 and has a piston rod 25 slidable outwardly therefrom, the outer end of this rod being attached by a joint 27 to a connecting rod 28 which, in turn, is coupled 2,784,548 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 ice to the crank 17. The compression cylinder 23 similarly has a piston29 reciprocable therein. and coupled by a connecting rod 30 to the crank 18. a i

The air from the interior of the piston 24 is preferably exhausted to avoid undue retention of heat, while the portion of the cylinder 22 adjacent the block portion 21 is provided with cooling fins 31 so that the air in that cylinder may be subjected to cooling when the power piston reaches the end of its power stroke. The block portion 21 is provided with an air passage 32 which operatively connects the two cylinders together, as shown.

A vertically elongated heater housing 33 is positioned on the base plate 11 and encloses the outer end'portion of the power cylinder 22, the housing 33 being provided with a lateral opening 34 whereby a container 35 having a heating agent therein commonly known as can heat may be inserted in and removed from the bottom of the housing.

When the invention is placed in use, the heating means 35 are first energized, thus expanding the air in the outer end of the power cylinder 22 and driving the piston 24 outwardly, so as to rotate the crankshaft in the direction of the arrow 36. As the heated air reaches the portion of the cylinder provided with the fins 31, its temperature will be somewhat reduced and, at the same time, concurrent movement of the piston 29 will cause the air to be transferred through the passage 32 into the compression cylinder 23 which, of course, is relatively cool. Continued rotation of the crankshaft 16 will then cause the air to be expelled from the cylinder 23 by the piston 29 and drawn through the passage 32 into the cylinder 22 by the piston 24 without any appreciable change in temperature for subsequent heating during the next cycle of operation, in accordance with conventional practice.

It is to be particularly noted that the essence of the invention resides in the specific construction of the engine which renders the same particularly suitable as a toy, and in the arrangement of the self-contained heating means 35 which does not require connection to any external source.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications may be resorted to, such as may lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is:

A hot air engine toy of the horizontal cylinder type, comprising in combination, a base plate, an upright standard provided adjacent the center of said base plate, a horizontally elongated support member provided at the upper end of said standard, said support member including a U-shaped yoke and a transverse mounting fiange disposed at the opposite sides of said standard, a crankshaft rotatably mounted in said yoke and having a pair of mutually ofiset cranks disposed at the opposite sides of the yoke, a flywheel provided on said crankshaft within the yoke, a unitary cylinder block including a transverse intermediate portion bolted to said mounting flange and a relatively large horizontally disposed power cylinder and a relatively small horizontally disposed compression cylinder provided at the opposite ends and opposite sides of said intermediate portion, said intermediate portion being formed with an air passage connecting said cylinders together, a power piston and a compression piston reciprocable in the respective power and compression cylinders and operatively connected to the respective cranks of said crankshaft, cooling fins provided on said power cylinder adjacent said intermediate portion of said r r 3 4 block, a vertically elongated heater honsing positioned References Cited in the file of this patent on said base plate and enclosing the outer end portion UNITED STATES PATENTS of said power cylinder, said'housing being provided with a lateral opening in its lower portion, and a can-type 843398 lost 1907 container with a heating agent therein removably posi- 5 11O8182 Kelley 1914 tioned in the bottom portion of said housing, said container being insertable in and removable from said hous- Q PATENTS ing through said opening. 16,245 Great Britain Sept. 10, 1892 

